Fruit sorting and packing table



March 23 i926,

Filed April 14, 2 ShetS-ShSet E `Pateurted Mar.. 23, 192.6m

STATE. nPyarrr oid-FMCEQ y rnnn srnBLnn, or RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA, AssIcvfNoIt 'ro s'rEBLER-PARKER co i or RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA, AJconronA'rIoN or CALIFORNIA.

'FRUIT somme AND PACKING TABLE.

AApplication led April 14, 1925. Serial No. 22,990.

To all whom t may concern ,'Be it `known that I, FRED STEBLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at River-y side, in the county of Riverside and State of California, have invented cert-ain new and useful Improvements in Fruit` Sorting and Packing rlables, of which the specification. r

In the packing of lemons, it has been the practice to sort the fruit for size and shape by individual operators, this being necessary due to the fact that machine sizingisy unsatisfactory, as the structure of the fruit is subject to bruising when handled by thetypescf sizing machines now on "the market. ln the handling' of lemonsone crew of sorters utilizing a pairf of'boxesor trays hand sort the fruit for quality transferring it from one box to another. The sortedy fruit is then transferred to the'packers who like-l wise sort for size and shape-from those lsar'ue boxes or trays as lthey remove the fruit' therefrom, wrap the same and pack it-in the shipping boxes. This method of packin the fruit necessitates the packers selecting the fruit as to size and shape as theypick-it' from the box vor tray necessitating more or less handling or pawing resulting often in the'bruising of the fruit and requlring considerable time, making this operationquiteV expensive.

lt is the object 'of the presentl invention to "overcome the-unnecessary handling of. the fruit and to present the same' in a slowly moving bodyI to the operators and packers for their selection' thereof, the sorters irst' working on the fruit to remove therefrom the unsalable fruit and from the remainder to select the 'first andsecond grade for packing, the packers then selecting frofrrthese rst and second grades the fruit they desire to wrap andl pack in the shipping box.

A further object of this invention is' to make an arrangement or layout .of mechanism for accomplishin the above object which will enable the e cientuse from the greatest number ofbox'es within alimited area, thus not occupying an undue amount of door space `of a packing house, and to arrange the packing tables' in such manner that the boxes whenr lled by the packers may be easily transferred to a packing box conveyer for handling the boxesfrom one or more rlsxacking tables. L V fit rther object is to -construct the packfollowing is ar ing/tables of a plurality of endless belt sec-` tions arrangedin end to end relation and one end of the table receiving the fruit from the 'sort-in tab1e,the belt sections of the packing ta le vdecreasing in length from the fruit receiving end of the tablegandbeing driven at successively reduced speeds from .ther receiving end orf-the table enabling the fruit as received from the sorting table to be available to a and, after the remainingfruit to be available to `a lesser number of packers, and so on until the fruit is exhausted on the packing table. It is also an'object of the invention to provide indigreater number of packers,

vidual clutch mechanisms whereby the opera-l tion of any selected belt section of the packing table may be disconnected from the driv- -fing mechanism.

With the above mentioned and `other obrst selection, to enable the jects in Aview,'the invention consists in `the novel construction andcombination of parts hereinafter described,

t-he packingtables, and l v Fig. 3 is a corresponding view of the sorting table.

4 is an enlarged sectlonal view ofthe adjacent endsof a pair of belt sections .on one portion of the packing table illustrating the work drive mechanism andthe means for causing the turning of the `fruit when passing from the discharge end of one belt on to the receiving end of the next belt. y l

Fig. 5 is a view in side elevatingl ofthe `structure illustrated vin Fig. 4, showi g more particularlythe drive connection from the worm wheel. to 'thebelt drum.

Fig. 6 is asection-alview -on line 6-6 of dean logit'uainai illustrated in the acg companying drawings, andset forth in the preferred i Fig.v a illustrating one of the belt supporting rollers.

Fig.v 7 is a view in detail of oneiform of.

packing belt cut out clutch. l

, the numerals 1 designate fruit packing tables arranged in parallel spaced relation with their corresponding ends extending in angular relation from a suitable sorting table 2. The sorting table 2consists in the side frame membersl3 supported by uprights 4,

the side frame members being connected by belt supporting rollers 5 journaled at their ends therein, and in plan view the sorting table consists of a relatively long flight A and a pair of short flights B, the flights B being located immediately adjacent the flight A, and separated therefrom by a partition memberY 6. The respective flights A and the flights B each consist of an endless operating around their respective mounting.r rollers 7 at the respect-ive ends of the flights, and said rollers are driven to cause the belts B to move from the ends-of the frame' 3 toward each other, and the belt x ,25 A to move from one end of the frame 3 toward the other. .This op rating mechanism His illustrated particulary in Fig. 3, and consists of a motor 8` connected by a driving belt 9 with the periphery of the driving 3 wheel 10, the supporting shaft 11 of which mounts a pair of belt shafts 12 around which extend the respective driven belts 13 and 14 extending in opposite directions from the shaft 11. Tlie,belt 14.operates over a 5. 'sheave 15, which on its supporting shaft '16 has mounted a pair of belt sheaves 17.

X tive belts 18 and.19, one operating each-of the endless conveyers B to move the same toward each other -in the direction of the arrows, Fig. 1. The power belt 13 operates` over a pulley or sheave 20 carried by shaft"- 21, and the Vshaft in turn through a iexible .driving connection 22 operates the sorting belt A in the direction of theyarrow, Fig. 1.

The shaftsl and 21 extend the entire distance of the frames of the packing tables, as illustrated -in Figs. 1' and 2 of the,drawings,

and said shafts afford the power means for moving the'endless belt sections inu the di' rectionof the arrows, Fig. 1, which sections constitute ,the packing tablesv herein set forth. Each packing table consists of a plurality of endless flexible belt sections, illustrated as three in number, the ends of the belt sections operating over pulleys or drums 23 and supported within their length by transver rollers 5. vThe belt sections forming the respective packing tables are successively shorter-from the receiving end of the table as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, this being desirable in view ofthe fact that as the fruit remaining'on the packing table and transferred from one section to the other is successively smaller in amount due iawaeea to the packers standing along the inner side of the packing table having removed the more desirable fruit from the first section. Between the discharge end of one section and the receiving-end of the other, there is positioned afruit turningv member 24 in the form of an inclined board down which the fruit is adapted to roll as discharged from the end of one section to another. Due to the belt sections forming the packing table adjacent the sorting tables receiving the entire quantity of fruit passing from the sorti ing tables, the packers adjacentthereto, in making their first selections from the entire quant-ity of fruit, are able to do so ver;7`

quickly, but as thevfruit is advanced and the more desirable sizes and shapes are removed, it .necessitates slower work on the. part of the packers located at the next succeeding belt section, therefore the succeeding belt sections are drivenv at a slower speed than those originally receiving the fruit from the sorting table# The driving ofthe belts forming the packing tables may be accomplishedin any suitable manner, the form of mechanism illustrated consisting of a plurality of worms 25 on the respective shafts 16 and 21, and with each wornrcintermeshcs a worm gear 26 mounting on its supporting shaft 27 a sprocket 28 connected by a chain 29of the sprocket 30 associated with the shaft of one of the drums of the respective endless belt sections, it being understood that' the gear ratio between the shaft vand lthe drulnv of succeeding belt 'sections is lower than that of the preceding section, or re'- duced drive may be accomplished by reducingv the diameter of the end supporting Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings, and driving Aall drums with the same driving mechanism.

Between'the packing tables 1, there is positioned a packing box conveyer31 of any suitable construction adapted -to receive filled boxes and convey the same to a. station C where they for transportation.

are lidded and prepared drums of they successive belt sections as in This conveying mechanism being of a well i known` type. and in extensive use, and the lidding mechanism being in universal use in packing houses, a detailed description thereof is' not thought to be necessary.`

It will be observed that the belts forming the sorting tables B discharge onto one ot the'belt sections of one of the packing tables, l'vhile the `belt forming the other sorting table discharges wholly on to the other packing table.

To enable the stopping ot any desired belt section forming the packing .tables 1,

vI provide av clutch mechanism between the respective shafts 27 and sprockets 28, and in its simplest form the same may consist of a collar 32 keyed tothe shaft 27 for longitu- -dinal movement thereomfthe teeth 33 of remesa i which are adapted to be received in recesses `Vstance is accomplished through the movement of a lever pivoted as at 36. lt is to 1 be understood that this is but one form of f mechanisms may be employed.

clutch mechanism, and if desirable more complicated and mo-re efficient forms of such Packers equipped with fruit `packing box .supporting carriages assemble along the inside lines of the packing tables, pick the fruit therefrom, wrap it, and after so doing, pack it in the shipping boxes. After a box liaslbeen lilled, the operator pushes its supporting carriage to the i'illed box conveyer belt and slides the box from the carriage onto the belt, the movementof which conveys it to the lidder. With an empty packing box on the carriage, the operator again takes a position along the inside edge of the packing table, at either one of the belt sections, and packs a succeeding boxv in the previous manner.

I claim 1. A fruit sortingiand packing apparatus including aplurality of sorting tables, one serving as a fruit receiving member and the other adapted for receiving sorted fruit/from the iirst member, a plurality of packing tables disposed angularly in the same direction from said sorting'tables and,onefcom.

municating with the discharge end of each of the sorting tables, each including endless belt conveying members, means for imparting movement to the sortingrtable forming belts, means for imparting movement to the packing table forming belts, and a filled box conveyer member disposed between said,y

packing tables.

2. A fruit sorting and packingapparatus including a sorting table, a packing table disposed angularly thereto and with its rcceiving end communicating 4with, the discharge end of the sorting table, each including endless belt conveyer members,a plurality ofiindependent belt sections arranged in end to end relation with which `said packing table communicates, means for operating the belt 'forming the sorting table to deliver fruit onto one end of the packing table, and means for operating the packing belt'sections successively slower from itskreceiving toward its opposite end.

3. A fruit sorting and packing apparatus including a sorting table, a packing table disposed angularly thereto with its receiving endcommunicating with the discharge end of lthe sortingtable. each of said tables including endless belt conveying members, said packing tableconsisting of aplurality of belt sections arranged in end to end relation, the belt sections as successively removed from thel packing table being shorter, means for operating the belt forming the sorting tablel packing tab e forming belt sections, the speed of the packing belt sections being successively slower from the discharge end of the sorting table belt. f

4. A fruit sorting and packin apparatus including aI plurality of para lel sorting tables arranged side by side, one serving as a fruit receivingmember and the other for receiving sorted fruit fromthe lirst'member, and each includingv an endless travelling belt, a plurality of packing tables extending angularly in the same direction from the sorting tables and disposed in parallel spaced relation, andJ each including a plurality of belt sections arranged in end to end relation for discharging one onto the other, means for driving the belts forming the sorting and packing tables, the packing belt sections as successively removed from the sorting .table being shorter and operating at a slower speed, and a filled box conveyer positioned between the packing tables. Y

5. A fruit sorting and packin apparatus including a plurality ofv para lel. sorting tables arranged side by side, one serving as a fruit receiving member and the other for .receiving the sorted fruit from the first member, and each including an endless travelling conveyer, a plurality,l of packing tables extending angularly in the same direction from the sorting tables and disposed in parallel spaced relation, one of said packing tables adapted to receive fruit .delivered from the respective sorting tables, and each including a plurality of belt sections arranged in end to end relation for discharge ing one ontotlie other, means for driving the belts forming the sortingl tables to deliver the contents onto one end of each of said packing tables, means common to the sections of the respective packing belts for 'driving the same, and clutch controlleddriving connections betweenA the packing belt driving means and the respective sections.` y 6. A fruitpacking apparatus comprising a packing table consisting of a plurality of endless belt sections arranged in alignment in end to end relation, said sections successively decreasingin length from one end of the table toward the other, and means for driving said belt sections in the same direction from the longer towardv the shorter with the successively shorter sections operating at successively slower speeds.

In testimony whereof I have name to this specification.

` FRED s'rnBLER;

signed my and .means for operating the 

